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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. race — humankind
  3. branch — a division
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tube — a container
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. clip — for paper
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. clip — to cut
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tube — the underground
  22. race — a contest
  23. clip — a video
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com